ONITSHA—Worshippers at Ebenezer Anglican Church, Oyelu Oze, Nkwelle-Ezunaka, in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, have accused former Governor Peter Obi of failing to approve their application for Certificate of Occupancy before leaving office, probably because he was of the Catholic Church.
They also accused him of failing to return to the Anglican church its mission school in the same manner he returned Development Primary School, Abata, Nsugbe and Hill Top Community School, Nkwelle-Ezunaka to the Catholic Church.
In a protest at the school premises last weekend, which would have metamorphosed into a full blown crisis but for the timely intervention of the Deputy Chairman of Oyi Local Government Council, Maximus Orefo, the worshippers complained that what they got in return was for some unknown persons to invade the school last Friday and began to remove the roof without informing them.
However, former Governor Obi, through his aide, Valentine Obienyem, reacted to the accusation, saying there was no way he could have been in all the schools in the state to know what was happening in all of them.
Obi, however, noted that the Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Anambra State, and the President-General of Nkwelle-Ezunaka Town Union, Elder Chris Eluemuno, were competent to speak on the matter, because, according to him, having carried the P-Gs and elders of the state along during his regime, they knew what informed each of his decisions.
The worshippers, who spoke through their Parish Vicar, Rev. Princewill Okonkwo; Emmanuel Ezemenari and Chindo Chukwujekwu, said they had been worshipping in the school for the past 35 years when one Mr. Isaac Izuchukwu, a prominent indigene of Oze Village and others who are predominantly Anglican worshippers, handed the school over to the Anglican church to serve as both a school and a place of worship.
They contended that when former Governor Chris Ngige assumed office in 2003, he directed them to do a survey plan with which to process a Certificate of Occupancy, C of O which they did as directed, adding that it was during former Governor Obi’s tenure in 2006 that the file containing the survey plan and other documents for processing the C of O got missing along the line.
They further contended that to worsen the matter, Obi set up a panel between Anglican and Catholic churches and thereafter ended the chapter without any further action.